The bookkeeping certification exam should be considered very difficult. While it's not as difficult as the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, candidates should make sure they prepare as much as possible. While there is a gold standard accounting certification in the United States (CPA), there is no equivalent in accounting. However, there are two recognized accounting certifications.
Unlike AIPB and NACPB certifications, you don't earn any letters to put behind your name (CB or CPB) when you complete these courses. However, you will receive a certificate from an accredited institution demonstrating that you have the knowledge and skills to perform the required tasks of an accountant. I hire accountants for my company and, frankly, an accounting certification means nothing to me. To obtain any of the certifications, accountants must successfully pass a four-part multiple-choice exam, verify their education and experience in accounting, and agree to follow a code of professional conduct.
The main objective of AIPB has been to recognize accounting as a profession and accountants as professionals. AIPB, the American Institute of Professional Accountants, offers a CB or Certified Accountant designation, as does NACPB, the National Association of Certified Public Accountants. Accountants can complete this experience before taking the accounting certification exam or up to three years after passing the exam. Accounting professionals may wish to consider membership in the Institute of Certified Accountants (ICB).
Passing the AIPB program will make you a Certified Accountant (CB), while passing the NACPB program grants you the recognition of being a Certified Professional Accountant (CPB). You probably already have a lot of the relevant skills, knowledge, and credibility you need to be hired and do your job successfully, and most clients will ask you whether you're an accountant or not, but if you're an accountant looking for an accountant, that may be all they need to know, not if you're a certified accountant. It is designed for experienced accountants, as well as office managers or those looking to transition to a career in accounting or accounting. NACPB provides the Certified Bookkeeping Professional (CPB) license, while AIPB provides the Certified Accountant (CB) designation.
